On this map you can see your gift in action protecting environmental laws, advancing our protected places campaigns, nurturing the NatureHood and helping birds.

This legend will help you see where your gifts are at work every day!
● Defending Environmental Laws!
● Protected Areas Campaign!
● Working in your NatureHood!
● Saving Canada’s Birds!

DEFENDING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS

Every single day, your gifts are in action protecting and defending Canada’s environmental laws. Here are just two examples of how your support is at work in meeting rooms and courtrooms across Canada. And you can find them as ● coloured pins on the map above!

Offshore Oil & Gas Development Needs More Impact Assessments!
A proposed federal regulation would set a dangerous precedent for offshore oil and gas development in a vast ocean area east of Newfoundland, covering 735,000 square kilometres of Atlantic Ocean—a surface area larger than Alberta. The regulation would eliminate the requirement that new oil and gas explorations undergo a federal impact assessment, and also make it more difficult to establish marine protected areas where oil and gas development is prohibited. This would put ecologically important marine areas at further risk.

Offshore Newfoundland is home to species at risk including a number of whale species, Ivory Gull, Loggerhead and Leatherhead Sea Turtles, various species of Wolffish, White Shark, American Eel, and many more. The impact of oil and gas development is not only felt below the water’s surface. Seabird and shorebird mortality due to oil spills is a major concern—especially given that 95 percent of Canadian seabirds are already in trouble. Nature Canada is asking the federal government to commit to protecting our oceans by expanding the legally protected areas in which oil and gas development is prohibited.

Phase Out Coal-Fired Power, Don’t Rubberstamp New Coal Mines!
As you know, coal is a very dirty fossil fuel with multiple damaging impacts in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, and harm to nature. The Canadian government has promised to phase out coal fired power generation by 2030, going so far as to form an alliance with 19 other countries in November 2017 to “power past coal”.

Unfortunately, new and expanded coal mines are being proposed across western Canada. Yielding to advocacy from environmental and Indigenous groups, Canada’s environment minister has decided to assess the climate and biodiversity impacts of the huge Coalspur Vista coal mine in Alberta, but this project needs an independent panel review. The other coal mines must be assessed as well. Our leaders need to keep their promises to phase out coal-fired power generation, establish protected areas, and conserve species at risk. These objectives cannot be achieved by rubberstamping new coal mines.

PROTECTED AREAS CAMPAIGN

3 Areas That Critically Need Protection
And you can find them as ● coloured pins on the map above!

• Pacific Deep Sea Oasis: Our goal is to establish a Marine Protected Area here, one of Canada’s richest marine environments, to ensure this range of underwater mountains and fragile coral forests is protected from bottom trawling and oil & gas drilling, and preserved for future scientific exploration. This otherworldly seascape of underwater seamounts, coral forests and hydrothermal vents is a fragile ecosystem and home to an explosion of interconnected species, from Sea Cucumbers to the endangered North Pacific Right Whale, the endangered Blue Whale and threatened Orcas.
• Grasslands: This habitat contains some of the most endangered landscapes on earth. We are working to protect Govenlock, Nashlyn, and Battle Creek Grasslands in Saskatchewan, and the Suffield Community Pasture in Alberta. These heritage ranch lands provide habitat for species at risk like Greater Sage Grouse, Mountain Plover, and the Pronghorn Antelope.
• Prince Edward County: Ontario’s go-to ecotourism destination! Its high proportion of globally-rare alvar habitat supports an abundance of specially-adapted plants and wildflowers, such as the endangered Fourleaved Milkweed. It is home to a globally-recognized Important Bird Area (IBA), and its Prince Edward Point site has seen a recorded 298 bird species over the years. Furthermore, the south shore contains at least 30 of Ontario’s listed species-at-risk, including Blanding’s Turtle, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Short-eared Owl, and Monarch Butterfly.

NATUREHOOD

Taking Action For Your Nearby Nature
Our NatureHood program connects urban residents, particularly young people and their families, to nearby nature. It is a response to society’s growing disconnect from nature, and an acknowledgement that many complex barriers limit people’s access to nature, including distance, inequitable distribution of green space, cost, lack of knowledge and equipment, cultural perceptions of nature spaces, and racialization of communities.

Spending time in nature should be a right, but it is instead a privilege. It is critical that we work to address barriers to create a more inclusive and equitable outdoors. Together with your support, and our partner organizations, we address these barriers to nature through programs, events, and activities built on exploration, celebration, education, stewardship, and nature observation. All the ● coloured pins on your map show NatureHood programs run in partnership with the 16 terrific nature groups all across Canada.

BIRDS AND BIRD-FRIENDLY CITIES

On-The-Ground Action To Save Bird Lives
Canada’s bird species are in rapid decline, most alarming are shorebirds, grassland birds and aerial insectivores. Here are 4 ways your gifts are at work helping birds right now:

• You help support Moose Cree First Nation protect this intact Boreal ecosystem and one of the last Ontario watersheds untouched by industrial development and hydroelectric dams. Home to species at risk including Rusty Blackbird, Olivesided Flycatcher and Common Nighthawk, as well as an abundance of migratory birds.
• You help support James Bay Cree to protect key landscapes in their homelands vital for sustaining culture, livelihoods and rich biodiversity critical to the whole planet.
• Together, we collaborate with FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness Program) Canada and the initiative to raise awareness about birds impacted by window collisions. This year, October 5–11 will be a week of activities for individuals to map and report the location, status and species of birds affected. You can also take action at home to make your windows safe for birds by using bird friendly designs and planting trees and shrubs for habitat.
• With your support, we are working with partner groups on the ground to encourage municipalities to help save bird lives. The ● coloured pins on your map are areas gearing up to launch public campaigns.